Training Log Archive: slauenstein

Fun relay race!

I ran the easiest leg on our first ANCO team (which has to have one person under 16 or over 50 and a women, out of 7 runners on a team). It was fun to run a what I would call extended sprint in the forest. Good high-speed O training.

Core strength with Thomas and Estella in the yard of our cabin. Good to do this, I wasn't motivated, but since they asked if I wanted to join them, I figured I couldn't say no.

Club outing to the Pentecote weekend races in France. I was the only one in the group who had an early start time, which meant we got to the competition center very close to my start time. I had to run to the start, which was supposed to be only 1.7 km, but then was marked as 2.7 km on the way to the start. Oh man, did I have to hurry. Got to my start with 4 minutes to spare, enough time to tie my shoes. Pretty tired already before I started...

This race was a good thing for me! It might not look like a good result, because it's not, and it wasn't a clean race either, I made two large mistakes, but it was a step in the right direction. I have been feeling very negative when I race, especially in the last 1.5 months. Basically, I was pushing physically too hard and not concentrating on the orienteering, which meant not making solid plans and leaving a lot of the race up to chance. Today was about starting over. I wanted to make solid plans for each control, even if it meant stopping at the control. I wanted to slow down a bit and be concentrated on the right things during the race. I wanted to have a positive mindset during the race.

I achieved all of these things! And I was really content in the finish.

I did make two large mistakes. One right in the beginning to the 2nd control, when I was too low on my compass bearing and didn't correct quickly. Actually, I didn't realize how low I had dropped and search in the wrong spot twice while relocating. Lost 4 minutes there. But the good news is that I didn't let the mistake get to me and I did a good job on all my controls until number 12. There I made a lovely parallel error and ended up off the map. I managed to keep the damage under control, realizing what I must have done and lost "only" 3 minutes there. To 14, I entered the forest in another place than I thought and had to correct, so another 1min lost. In total could have been 8 minutes faster. Oops!

But, I was still very happy with this race. The mental mindset is worth more in positive experience than the mistakes in negative. I can fix the mistakes.
Link to map: http://repreob.hyperlink.cz/repre/images/nomms2012...

Went biking today after catching up on a bunch of stuff at home. I am feeling better, stomach problems are gone, which means I am eating more and that has given me some energy back.

The biking part was good until 5 minute before getting home when I crashed. I was riding down a paved road and took a slight turn onto a dirt path. The dirt must have been very soft because my tires slide out from under me and I crashed to the ground. Basically hitting the ground without being able to break in the process, with my hand on the handlebars and my feet still clipped in. Which means I landing on hard my hip and hitting my head even harder. I had that slow motion effect while falling and felt my neck whiplash to the ground. Ouch! Now I have a stiff neck, a head-ache, bruised hip and some road-rash on my leg. Sounds dramatic, but actually I am fine. Feel hard-core actually.

C • ooh! sounds rough - feel b... 3

Oh man, I am really having trouble exercising. Not only am I not recovering from this cold, I have had stomach trouble since Tuesday morning and it's draining all my energy. I feel like I could sleep for hours and hours and hours. Training feels very hard. I do however think it's the right thing to get some short, low intensive running in. I don't think it's going to slow down my recovery and if I take more time off my knee will never forgive me.

C • Is it... 1

When I got home from work with Marc and Friends

Tonight the cadreNE (regional team) took part in the Tour de Canton race, a 10km race that is every week for 6 weeks in May and June in a different town in the Canton of Neuchatel. There is also a shorter race for kids and teenagers, which is VERY important to our juniors in the club. The highlight of the year is running these races, which range between 2-4km depending on their age. If you are the Tour leader at that time (also for the adults) you run in a yellow shirt provided by the organizers. Our club kids do very well in these races and two of my kids are dominating the men's 15 age group. Placing 1st and 2nd every week. But today, everyone from the cadre did the adult 10km race as well. I wanted to run with them, but I just am not recovering from this cold, so I warmed up with them and then did an extra loop to get a run in. Felt exhausted afterwards.

Warm-up. feeling healthy enough to get some exercise, and since I coach the juniors on Tuesday evenings, I didn't really have a choice.

Core strength with the juniors. They are weak and moan a lot... it's a good thing I am making them do this!

Tried to work on solid attack points, because after analysing my last races, I realize that I am having trouble making plans and not coming into the control well. It was a good idea to have one solid goal for the training, but the map was so crappy due to lots of forest work over the last few years, that it felt more like a guessing game than working on technique. Too bad actually.

Travelling from Uppsala to Cormondréche.

I am feeling better, but still fighting some symptoms of my cold. It's annoying to be sick for so long at this time of the year. I am really starting to get worried about my physical shape for WOC. I feel like I am running out of time and I feel discouraged. I guess I need to make the best out of what I got and really focus on the mental and technical preparation. Physically, I can still improve in 6 weeks, but not tons, however if I get my head in the right frame of mind that can make the most difference.

C • Yes you can 9